I'm going to cross-post to 73-79 forum in hopes of getting more answers, but here goes.

Trying a brake job for the first time, as I have a leaking wheel cylinder in the back. Front brakes are good.

76 F150 4X4 auto

On a 9inch axel, does anyone have any advise for removing the brake drums? The drums turn easily without backing off the brake shoes, but they seem to be fused solidly to the axel shafts. I have spent over an hour going back and forth on both sides, heavily tapping the sides, edges, and faces of the drums, and lightly tapping the hub, with an engineer's hammer (suggested by local parts store staff), and they won't budge. I then slowly let some Kroil wick/draw in around the axel hub and around each lug stud, and about every 10 minutes, add as much more as it will accept. Then, I starting tapping heavily again, and still won't budge.

Am I just being too impatient? Am I not tapping them hard enough? I'm hoping the drums will be turnable and reused, so I don't want to sacrafice them if at all possible. When I pulled out the plug over the adjuster, it had an 8A-XXXX number, which looks suspiciously like a Ford stock number to me. If that's the case, I'm guessing the brakes might be original (all the parts I got came with new stuff, including the plugs, so I can't see a reason to recycle the old ones). I was working on another car this weekend, that's been sitting for at least 8 years, and the drums were not stuck like these.

Thanks for any help.

Matt

 

Pull outward on opposite sides of one drum as hard as you can and work it side-to-side, using plenty of penetrating oil (I prefer Liquid Wrench). If that doesn't get it moving, pry it out with 2 good flathead screwdrivers just like when you were pulling, but jam them so they'll stay between the drum & the backing plate. Then start tapping on the hub center, progressively harder until the screwdrivers drop out. Unless you're using a 3lb maul, you can't hit it as hard as what driving does, so don't worry about hitting too hard.

When you reinstall it, use Anti-Sieze Lubricant.

 

You might also consider using a propane torch to heat the drum around where it meets the axle, usually around the studs. Of course be cautious that the oil you added doesn't catch fire.

Lots of moderate tapping and heat and prying might be necessary to get the drum off. BTW you did back off on the brake adjuster right? The adjuster may need to be real loose since there might be a ridge inside the drum that prevents it from coming off, even though the drum turns freely. You got to get the shoes below the ridge.

Jim Henderson

 

> You got to get the shoes below the ridge.

I agree with this being the most likely cause. If you can not remove the drum using a 32 oz Ford wrench (hammer) without prying and heating, then get a drum puller from Autozone or buy one for $30.00. It looks like a three prong puller with a big screw in the middle.

Do not pry on the backing plate at all. To remove with a hammer, it is best to get a big drift or a 3/8 extension and hit the drum from behind with small sledge hammer. Do not go for broke, just small solid hits.It would not hurt to run some water or brake clean down from the top to remove dust and keep it down. You are replacing the brake cyl. anyways.

At the worse, remove the brake line from the cyl. and unbolt it. Get a nail puller and pull the hold down rod for the springs/shoes away from the backing plate and cut it off with a tin snip. Do all four. Then pry the drum away at the top and cut the springs or bend them away from the post. If you have a big screw driver you can smash them downwards and off the post.

 

Never had this problem with a Ford but I once had a Datsun that you had to really hit hard with a big hammer 3 or 4 times at the outer edge of the drum. They would pop right off.